Halin de Repentigny has spent more than four decades painting the places that have shaped his life.

Originally from Montreal, Halin settled in Dawson City, Yukon, where the northern landscape became both his home and his greatest source of inspiration. Working outdoors whenever possible, he paints from direct experience, returning again and again to the rivers, mountains, communities, and changing seasons that define life in the North.

Today, Halin divides his time between Yukon summers and winters in Argentina. While the landscapes have changed, his approach has remained the same: to observe closely, paint honestly, and capture the quality of light that gives each place its character.

"The right light is like a jewel. I know a painting works when it creates its own light."

Whether it's the low winter sun on the Yukon River or the warm afternoon light of South America, Halin is drawn to moments that transform an ordinary landscape into something unforgettable. Rather than chasing dramatic subjects, he looks for the quiet interplay of light, colour, and atmosphere that gives each place its own character.

"Especially as a painter, you should be getting better and better, and you should see the change. If the painter is doing the same as twenty years ago, something is wrong—he's stagnant."

For Halin, painting has never been about repeating past successes. Every canvas is an opportunity to learn, experiment, and push his work in a new direction. That commitment to growth has shaped a career that continues to evolve after more than forty years.

"When I go into my studio or go outside to paint I never know what I am going to do. Most of my painting is impulsive, driven by emotion. I feel that after all this time, I am just starting to truly understand how my emotion is transferred to the canvas."

Whether working in the Yukon, Mexico, or Argentina, Halin paints from lived experience rather than formula. His work grows out of places he has walked, people he has met, and moments that stay with him long after the day is over.

Alongside his painting practice, Halin has completed a number of significant public commissions, including monumental sculptures, public memorials, and traditional canoe projects. Working at both intimate and monumental scales has broadened his artistic practice while remaining rooted in the same principles of craftsmanship, observation, and connection to place.

His public works include the Chief Isaac sculpture in Dawson City, the Woolly Mammoth in Whitehorse, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls memorial, and hand-built birch bark canoes that reflect his lifelong interest in traditional craftsmanship and the northern landscape.

Selected Exhibitions

2026 — Madrona Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia

2025 — Of This Place, Old Fire Hall, Whitehorse, Yukon

2023 — Reflections, Whitehorse, Yukon

2023 — Introductions, Föhren, Germany

2022 — Madrona Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia

2021 — North–South: The Twain Shall Meet, Yukon

2021 — Gold Rush Inn, Whitehorse, Yukon

2016 — Repentithree, Whitehorse, Yukon

2016 — Artist in Residence, Ukama Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia

2015 — Divergence, Whitehorse, Yukon

2015 — Luminous Complexions, Ukama Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia

2015 — Hambleton Galleries, Kelowna, British Columbia

2014 — North End Gallery, Whitehorse, Yukon

2014 — Gallery 88, Vancouver, British Columbia

2013 — Sala Frey, Bariloche, Argentina

2013 — North End Gallery, Whitehorse, Yukon

2012 — Copper Moon Gallery, Whitehorse, Yukon

2012 — Portico Gallery, Squamish, British Columbia

2012 — Gainsborough Gallery, Calgary, Alberta

2012 — Invited Artist, Calgary Stampede, Calgary, Alberta

2008 — Invited Artist, Rendez-vous Canada, Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia

2007 — Rosario's Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia

2005 — Petley Jones Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia

2004 — Yukon Gallery, Whitehorse, Yukon

2004 — Bombay Peggy's, Dawson City, Yukon

2003 — Yukon Art Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon

A complete exhibition history is available upon request.

Public Collections

Canadian Art Bank

Government of Yukon

Yukon University

Beringia Centre

Bariloche, Argentina

Private Collections

Halin's work is held in private collections throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Argentina, and beyond.